Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 21) — Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) should turn to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) for assistance beginning July 1, except those in countries where there are no resident Migrant Workers Offices (MWOs), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Wednesday.
This is in accordance with the law signed in late 2021 which created the DMW.
Under Republic Act No. 11641, all assistance cases involving OFWs – including legal or medical support, repatriation, and shipment of remains – will be handled by the DMW through the use of its AKSYON Fund.
The DFA said the following countries or territories have resident MWOs:
– Asia-Pacific: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Singapore
– Middle East and Northern Africa: Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates
– Europe: The Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom
– Americas: Canada, United States of America
OFWs from the aforementioned areas who need assistance may personally, or through their relatives, contact the DMW through its hotline numbers or email addresses.
‼️READ‼️ #DFAStatement: DFA Turns Over Assistance-To-Nationals Functions for OFWs to DMW
Also found in this link 👉🏻 https://t.co/fBkNEmdHIH#DFAForgingAhead pic.twitter.com/K51JCVrBDR
— DFA Philippines 🇵🇭 (@DFAPHL) June 21, 2023
Meanwhile, the DFA said it will continue to assist OFWs in countries without resident MWOs through its Assistance to Nationals and Legal Assistance Funds.
“The DFA shall also continue to assist all other overseas Filipino nationals worldwide who are not OFWs/temporary workers, but fall under other categories (students, tourists, dual citizens, permanent residents, etc.),” its notice read.
